Regulating apparatus



Aug. 24, 1937. w, mm 2,090,812

' REGULATIHG APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1936 Werner S'chn /ZIi' Patented 24, 1937 PATENT OFFICE nncomrmo APPARATUS Werner Schmitt, Basel,

Switzerland, assign: to

Fabrikelektr. Apparate Fr. Sautcr A. G., Basel,

Switzerland Application August 20,- 1936, Serial No. o'aosa In Switzerland August 26, 1935 5 Claims.

The invention relates to regulating apparatus of the known type for maintaining constant a temperature, a pressure, a degree of humidity or any other condition which is to be maintained 5 constant, comprising a regulating member., such as valve or air ventilator vane the adjustment of which is automatically caused by a device re-' spohsive to the condition to be maintained through contact mechanism. Apparatus of this kind as hitherto constructed is open to the great disadvantage that at the moment when the responsive device arrests the adjustment of the setting of the regulating member the movement of this member has already advanced too far and 35 consequently shortly afterwards a readjustment in the opposite direction takes place. In other words what may be termed over-regulation oocure the regulating apparatus thus oscillates or hunts. This disadvantageous action always 0% t plate when as a result of slack or cumulative action or large oscillations in operation a lag occurs between the movement oi the-responsive device the operative conditions.

esent invention-provides improved regu g apparatus of the above described in i adiustmont oi the setting of the regu- 1;. g member efl'eeted by the action of the resp ive device is arranged to be arrestedby a o device in such a manner that over-regu- 35) i l is prevented,

recoznpanying drawing a constructionai oi the invention is shown diagrammaticall sigma i being a view of the whole device in its normal or stationary position, Figure 2 being 35 a view of a portion of the apparatus during the adjusting operation and Figure 3 a detail view oi a portion or the apparatus; Figures 4 and 5 illustrate modifications of the apparatus of the pre cosine mums.

4 In figure 1 of the drawing, l indicates a pressure regulator comprising a diaphragm as the respomlvedevice which is deflected to a greater or less extent in accordance with the pressure prevailing and which transmits its movement by 45 mean! of a rod} to a toothed segment A rotatably mounted at Land to which the rod 2 is connected at E,

A gear wheel :0, intermeshing with the toothed segment Q isconnected through a shaft 1 with so the bevel wheel I 01a sun-and-planet mechanism. The opposite bevel wheel 8 of this mechanism is connected to cam disc H by means of a shaft II. The two bevel wheels I and 9 are of equal dlameter and inter-mesh with a bevel wheel I2,-

latter is attached to a toothed segment H, mounted on a shaft I5. Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the segment l4 and the bevel wheel l2.

At the sides of the cam disc I l are two mercury switch tubes 16', I 6", which are secured to two inverse T-shaped levers l8, I8" rotatable about pivots ll, IT". The levers l8, l8" are provided at their upper ends with-rollers it, IS" which, under the action of a tension spring 20, are caused to engage with the edge or the cam disc H.

The mercury switch tubes i6, it" are connected. through limit switches 2|" with the field windings 22', 22" of a small reversible electric motor 22, which drives a regulating valve 23.

The operation of the apparatus described is as follows:

Assuming that the pressure to be regulated falls, the diaphragm i is deflected downwards and by means of the toothed segment a rotates the gear wheel 8 in a clockwise direction together with the bevel wheel 8. This rotation is trans mitted by means of the bevel wheel it, the axis of which is still stationary, to bevel wheel 9 and thereby revolves the cam disc ii through a predetermined angle towards the left, as shown in Figure mercury switch tube IE switches on the motor ciuren't circuit from the positive terminal of the source through l6, 2%, 2. 2, so as to open the valve 255.

In order that the duration of opening oi the valve shall not be too great to prevent over-regulation, simultaneously with the motor winding 22' the winding 2% of a small reversible auxiliary electric motor M is switched in, which, by means of the gear mechanism 25, 26, 21 acts upon the toothed segment l4 and rotates this in such a manner that the shaft is of the bevel wheel l2 (shown in Figure 1) is moved backwards. The bevel wheel i2 is thereby rotated (since the bevel wheel 8 is stationary) towards the left as viewed from below, and rotates the bevel wheel 9 together with the cam disc II in an anti-clockwise direction, so that the cam disc H is moved back from the operative setting of-Figure 2 into the stationary setting of Figure 1. The driving motor 22 for the valve 23 as well as the auxiliary motor 25 are thereby switched off.

Ii! 9. further fall of pressure occurs, the diaphragm I of the regulating member is again moved downwards and the same action again takes place.

In accordance with the extent of the decrease of pressure the diaphragm I is more or less deflected downwards, and the cam disc H is thereby rotated through a correspondingly larger or smaller angular movement so that the duration of the impulse of the regulating current is tion and the mercury switch tube '56" effects the switching-in of the motorwlnding 22" so that the valve driving motor 22 is operated in'the opposite direction. v

2 'At the same time the winding 24" of the auxiliary motor 24 is switched in, and this motor is thereby also set into opposite rotation, so that the bevel wheels l2 and 9 also rotate in the reverse direction whereby the cam disc ii is I 5 brought back into its stationary position.

The apparatus can, as already mentioned, also be used for regulatingatemperature or degree of humidity or for maintaining constant any operating condition by the employment of a' correspondingly arranged responsive device.

It is possible that under predetermined operating conditions the backward movement of the.

cam disc Ii to its stationary position may take place somewhat too early at times and'consequently after a short intervals. new regulating impulse may take place under the influence of the responsive device (i) if as a result of insufiicient regulation, for example, a further decrease in pressure takes place. Such frequent 4o correcting regulation can be overcome if the switching-in of the auxiliary motor 2 A is slightly delayed as compared with the valve driving motor 22 so that the mercury switch tube 96' or it" remains at times somewhat longer in its switching-in condition.

This may, for example, be efiected if instead of directly switching-in the auxiliary motor winding 24' or 26" a relay having a delayed action is provided which only closes the current circuit of the auxiliary motor after a predetermined interval of time. 1

In Figure 4 a modification of this kind is diagrammatically shown. When, for instance, the mercury switch tube it, switches in the motor winding 22' a delayed action relay 2% is energized through wires 28, 28' and after a short interval of time a switch 36' is closed, which then completes the current circuit for the winding 26,-

in accordance with which the auxiliary motor 25 an carries out its reverse function, as above described. When the valve motor 22 is switched ofi the-relay 29' also becomes deenergized and the switch 39 opens again. Similarly, a delayed action relay 2e" and a switch 38" come into action 5 when the mercury switch tube i 6" is operated.

Relays with delayed action are already known, the delayed action being efiected by means of a braking mechanism, an air dashpot or similar known retarding means, the duration of the de- 7 lay being arranged to be adjustable.

The delayed switching-in of the aumliary' motor 2d, 26', 26" can however be arranged to be otherwise efiected as for instance by a delayed action switch controlled by the valve operating 35 mechanism, ,said switch being interposed in the common line '28 and switched in shortly alter the starting into operation of the valve driving motor 22. Y

In Figure 1 a valve operating mechanism is diagrammatically illustrated, whichis driven by means of a reversible motor unit or by a direct current motor provided with two field windings for rotation in one or the other direction.

In the case in which the valve operating motor is a single phase alternating induction motor with condenser, the special connections are recommended according to Figure 5. The connection 0! the control wires 28', 28" for the auxiliary motor 24 is effected at separate contactsfl',

ii" of the mercury switch tubes it, it" which are connected to the windings 24', 24" of the auxiliary motor 24 through two limit switches 32', 32", which are switched ofl, for example, by means of a pin 33 on the wheel 26 in the limiting positions of this wheel so as to switch off the auxiliary motor in a similar manner to the operation of the limit switches 2|, 2|" in Figure 1.

The modified apparatus of Figure 5 operates in exactly the same manner as that of Figure 1.

a What I claim is:

'1. In apparatus for regulating the physical conditions obtaining in a space in which said conditions are required to be maintained substantially constant, the combination 0! means ior varying said conditions, an electric motor ior driving said means, a contact mechanism for controlling the direction of rotation of said electric sun-and-planet mechanism operatively connected between said device and said contact mechanism and electrically operated auxiliary means operatively connected to said sun-and-planet mechanism for reversely operating said latter mechanism.-

Y 2. In apparatus for regulating the physical con= device, a bevel gear wheel operatively connected to said contact m, a bevel gear wheel intermeshing with both of mid gear wh, a member on which said intermeshing gear wheel is rotatably mounted and whichis itself rotatahly motor, a device responsive to said conditions. a

ditions obtaining in a space in which d conmounted'coaidally with said bevel gear wheels. I

and electrically operated auxiliary tatably displacing said member.

3. In apparatus for regulating the a :1: r ditions obtaining in a space in which said new ditions are required to be maintained an. a tially constant, the combination oi cans tor varying said conditions, an electric motor tor driving said means, a contact mecha for trolling the direction of rotation of said electric motor, a device arranged to lie-displaced one or other direction in accordance with ti in said conditions'from a normal value, a foetal gear wheel operatively connected to said device. a bevel gear wheel operatively coted to said electrically operated auxiliary means for rotatably displacing said member and a delayed action relay mechanism controlling the operation of said auxiliary'means.

5 4. In apparatus for regulating the physical conditions obtaining in a space in which said conditions are required to be maintained substantially constant, the combination of means for varying said conditions, an electric motor for 10 driving said means, acontact mechanism for controlling the direction of rotation of said electric motor, comprising two mercury switch tubes, one for each direction of rotation of said electric motor, in combination with a common cam 15 disc for alternately operating same, a device arranged to be displaced in one or other direction in accordance with variations in said conditions from a normal value, a bevel gear wheel operatively connected to said device, a bevel gear 20 wheel operatively connected to the cam disc 01' said contact mechanism; a bevel gear wheel intermeshing with both of said gear wheels, a member on which said intermeshing gear wheel is rotatably. mounted and which is itself rotatably mounted coaxially with said bevel gear wheels, electrically operated auxiliary means for rotatably displacing said member and a delayed action relay mechanism controlling the operation of said auxiliary means.

5. In apparatus for regulating the physical conditions obtaining in a space in which said conditions are required to be maintained substantially constant, the combination 0! means for varying said conditions, an electric motor for driving said means, a contact for controlling the direction of rotation of said electric motor, a diaphragm device responsive to said conditions, a sun-and-planet operatively connected on one side to said contact mechanism, gear means operatively connecting said diaphragm-device to the other side of said sun-and-planet and electrically operated auxiliary means operatively connected to said sun-and-planet mechanism for reversely operating said latter mechanism.

WERNER SCHMI'I'I.

I an 

